Read Online Paradise Falls by Ruth Ryan Langan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ruth Ryan Langan
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the kitchen.
She closed her door and drew the curtains before hanging her clothes. When everything was tidy, she slipped out of her day clothes and pulled on a soft cotton gown for sleeping. She eyed the letter to her mother she’d begun the previous night. The ointment would make it impossible to finish. She would have to write twice as much tomorrow.
After turning back the covers she blew out the lantern. Instead of climbing into bed, she walked to the window and lifted the curtain to stare at the night sky.
“Are you looking at that same moon, Mum? Do the stars seem as close in Chicago?”
In the silence that followed she folded her hands and whispered a prayer. Suddenly overcome with a wave of homesickness, she let go of the curtain and climbed into bed. Curled into a tight ball, she choked back tears until sleep claimed her.
* * *
Fiona lay in her bed, wondering what had awakened her from sleep. At first the only thing she could hear was the silence of the big farmhouse. But as she grew accustomed to the sounds of the night, she could hear, above the chirr of crickets and the hoot of an owl, the sound of the backdoor closing. Instead of footsteps heading toward the outhouse, these seemed to be heading toward the barn.
Intrigued, she slid from her bed and moved aside an edge of the curtain in time to see Flem leading a horse. Instead of riding, he continued walking until he’d crossed the distance that separated the barn from the house, and from there to the road. Once he was far enough away to go undetected, he pulled himself into the saddle and turned the horse toward town at a fast clip.
Where could Flem possibly go at this late hour? And why?
Not my business , Fiona thought as she returned to her bed. Perhaps there was a girl in town who’d snagged Flem’s heart. But what sort of girl would meet a young man in the small hours of the night?
She didn’t know. Nor did she care. What Flem did with his time was his own business. Of one thing she was certain: he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. With that golden hair and those laughing eyes, he would have no trouble finding dozens of young women who would willingly lose their hearts to him.
Within minutes she’d put Flem and his secretive midnight wanderings out of her mind completely as she drifted back to sleep.
FIVE
“W hat’s this?” Gray swung down from the seat of the wagon and crossed the schoolyard to examine the brand new outhouse, where Will was just setting the door on its hinges. “You’re finished?”
Will flushed in embarrassment. “I didn’t want Miss Downey to have to wait any longer. Flem said I should have done this first.”
“No need to worry about what Flem thinks, Will. You’re doing a fine job here.” Gray noted the freshly sanded bench positioned across one side, with three graduated holes smoothly cut into the wood.
The boy looked pleased. “Miss Downey likes it, too.”
“Where is she?”
“Inside.” Will nodded toward the schoolhouse.
Gray gave one last glance around the tidy shed before turning away.
He found Fiona standing beside her desk, running her hand lightly across the scarred wood.
As always, he felt a jolt at the sight of her. To cover his nerves he frowned. “It would seem you’re ready for your first day of school.”
Her head came up, before a look of wariness came into her eyes. “I hope I am.”
“I can’t see anything left to do.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Except maybe to find a more qualified teacher.”
“You’re going to be a fine teacher.”
“How do you know?”
He shrugged. “I just do. You care so much.”
“Maybe too much.” She stared down at the desktop. “What if I let the children down, Gray?”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door. “You’d never do that.”
“You can’t be certain.”
“I just have to look at you, listen to you, to know.” Suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, he
She closed her door and drew the curtains before hanging her clothes. When everything was tidy, she slipped out of her day clothes and pulled on a soft cotton gown for sleeping. She eyed the letter to her mother she’d begun the previous night. The ointment would make it impossible to finish. She would have to write twice as much tomorrow.
After turning back the covers she blew out the lantern. Instead of climbing into bed, she walked to the window and lifted the curtain to stare at the night sky.
“Are you looking at that same moon, Mum? Do the stars seem as close in Chicago?”
In the silence that followed she folded her hands and whispered a prayer. Suddenly overcome with a wave of homesickness, she let go of the curtain and climbed into bed. Curled into a tight ball, she choked back tears until sleep claimed her.
* * *
Fiona lay in her bed, wondering what had awakened her from sleep. At first the only thing she could hear was the silence of the big farmhouse. But as she grew accustomed to the sounds of the night, she could hear, above the chirr of crickets and the hoot of an owl, the sound of the backdoor closing. Instead of footsteps heading toward the outhouse, these seemed to be heading toward the barn.
Intrigued, she slid from her bed and moved aside an edge of the curtain in time to see Flem leading a horse. Instead of riding, he continued walking until he’d crossed the distance that separated the barn from the house, and from there to the road. Once he was far enough away to go undetected, he pulled himself into the saddle and turned the horse toward town at a fast clip.
Where could Flem possibly go at this late hour? And why?
Not my business , Fiona thought as she returned to her bed. Perhaps there was a girl in town who’d snagged Flem’s heart. But what sort of girl would meet a young man in the small hours of the night?
She didn’t know. Nor did she care. What Flem did with his time was his own business. Of one thing she was certain: he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. With that golden hair and those laughing eyes, he would have no trouble finding dozens of young women who would willingly lose their hearts to him.
Within minutes she’d put Flem and his secretive midnight wanderings out of her mind completely as she drifted back to sleep.
FIVE
“W hat’s this?” Gray swung down from the seat of the wagon and crossed the schoolyard to examine the brand new outhouse, where Will was just setting the door on its hinges. “You’re finished?”
Will flushed in embarrassment. “I didn’t want Miss Downey to have to wait any longer. Flem said I should have done this first.”
“No need to worry about what Flem thinks, Will. You’re doing a fine job here.” Gray noted the freshly sanded bench positioned across one side, with three graduated holes smoothly cut into the wood.
The boy looked pleased. “Miss Downey likes it, too.”
“Where is she?”
“Inside.” Will nodded toward the schoolhouse.
Gray gave one last glance around the tidy shed before turning away.
He found Fiona standing beside her desk, running her hand lightly across the scarred wood.
As always, he felt a jolt at the sight of her. To cover his nerves he frowned. “It would seem you’re ready for your first day of school.”
Her head came up, before a look of wariness came into her eyes. “I hope I am.”
“I can’t see anything left to do.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Except maybe to find a more qualified teacher.”
“You’re going to be a fine teacher.”
“How do you know?”
He shrugged. “I just do. You care so much.”
“Maybe too much.” She stared down at the desktop. “What if I let the children down, Gray?”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door. “You’d never do that.”
“You can’t be certain.”
“I just have to look at you, listen to you, to know.” Suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, he
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